Temporary pacemaker lead apparatus for having its electrode end portion inserted through a cannula and fed into a vessel of the body such as a vein.
In the prior art, one technique for inserting the electrode end of a temporary lead assembly into a vessel is the use of a procedure commonly called a "cut down." This technique involves cutting through the skin, exposing approximately one-half inch length of the vessel and cutting a slit in the vessel. The electrode end of the lead assembly is then inserted through the slit in the vessel and advanced into the vessel. This procedure is messy, time consuming (an important factor in emergency situations) and requires a sterile environment.
A second technique requires the use of a two part lead, one part of which is bifilar for connecting to an external pulse generator, the other part of which is unifilar for inserting into a vessel. In this technique, a plastic cannula is placed over a hypodermic needle and the needle is used to puncture and enter a vessel. The needle is withdrawn and the electrode end of the unifilar portion of the lead is inserted through the vessel. The cannula is then withdrawn and slid along the entire length of the unifilar segment of the lead and slid off the end opposite the electrode end and discarded. The opposite end of the unifilar segment is then physically and electrically connected to the bifilar segment via built in electro/mechanical connector. The disadvantages of this technique are: the difficulty of making the electro/mechanical connection of the bifilar and unifilar segments under the usual conditions in which the physician's gloves and the lead itself are covered with blood, body fluids and aseptic liquids; the relatively unreliable electro/mechanical connection between the unifilar and bifilar segments; the possibility of the patient tampering with the connection; and it is time consuming.
In order to overcome problems such as the above, this invention has been made.